Yes, This Year Was a Garbage Fire, But Here Are 23 Good Things That Happened in 2016

Let's face it: 2016 was rough. Terrorist attacks, police shootings, the Syrian civil war, Zika virus, Brexit, the U.S. presidential election—the list goes on and on and on. Though 2016 seems like the worst year in recent memory, there were still plenty of good things that happened over the past 12 months. As we brace ourselves for whatever 2017 has in store, here are 23 of the brightest moments from the past year.

President Obama announces executive actions to control gun violence.

To circumvent congressional gridlock on gun violence prevention, President Obama introduced a series of commonsense measures in January—which were supported by a majority of Americans. The executive actions sought to expand background checks, protect victims of domestic abuse from gun violence, and improve mental-health treatment. "Until we have a Congress that's in line with the majority of Americans, there are actions within my legal authority that we can take to help reduce gun violence and save more lives—actions that protect our rights and our kids,” the President said when announcing the measures.

Is that a curvy Barbie?

Barbie got a major makeover this year—one that more accurately reflects actual women. On January 28, Mattel introduced three new body types to join the original Barbie doll: petite, tall, and curvy. Even better? The dolls were all available in different hair and skin color combinations and even had the option of being flat-footed. Mattel’s commitment to being more inclusive and representing all women only grew in 2016, and the toy maker even created dolls for Misty Copeland, Ashley Graham, and Amy Schumer.

106-year-old woman dances with Michelle and Barack Obama.

Virginia McLaurin, a 106-year-old Washington, D.C., resident, long dreamed of visiting the White House. In February she not only realized her dream—she celebrated by dancing with Barack and Michelle Obama. "I thought I would never live to get in the White House,” McLaurin told the President and First Lady. “And I tell you, I am so happy. A black president and a black wife. And I'm here to celebrate black history."

NBC News

<img src="https://media.glamour.com/photos/5717f0d3c1dd71844b8f90de/master/pass/HarrietTubman.gif" alt="The Treasury Department announces Harriet Tubman will be the face of the new $20."/>

The Treasury Department announces Harriet Tubman will be the face of the new $20.

Following months of speculation surrounding who would replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill, the Treasury Department announced in April that a portrait of abolitionist leader Harriet Tubman would become the face of an updated note. The monetary makeover didn’t end there; Treasury Secretary Jack Lew revealed that the reverse sides of the $5 and $10 bills would be redesigned to honor the women’s suffrage movement and the civil rights movement, respectively.

The Supreme Court votes to protect women’s reproductive rights.

Three years after Texas legislators approved a measure intended to limit abortion access by imposing strict regulations on providers (regulations that forced dozens of facilities to close), the Supreme Court struck down the law for its unconstitutionality. The court declined to hear cases from Mississippi and Wisconsin over similar similar laws. It also refused a case from Washington state seeking to give pharmacies permission to deny prescriptions like birth control to individuals based on religious grounds—effectively blocking both of these efforts to limit women’s reproductive freedoms.

The Supreme Court rules that domestic abusers can lose their rights to gun ownership.

Following a landmark ruling for reproductive rights, the Supreme Court issued another major decision for women in June: The justices decided that individuals convicted of domestic abuse should be prohibited from purchasing firearms under federal law. Studies have shown a high correlation between domestic abuse and gun violence (particularly in terms of women’s safety), and the court’s decision was a major step toward keeping weapons out of the hands of abusers.

Getty Images

<img src="https://media.glamour.com/photos/578fbad02962c5b444a9d1b8/master/pass/milo.jpg" alt="Twitter permanently bans one of its worst trolls."/>

Twitter permanently bans one of its worst trolls.

After instigating a racist, sexist social media attack on actress Leslie Jones, Milo Yiannopoulos, the nefarious Twitter troll who also launched sexist Gamergate attacks on women in the video game industry and unleashed abuse on Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones, was permanently banned from the social media site. Though Twitter still needs to take serious measures to curtail online abuse, banning Yiannopoulos was a step in the right direction.

Getty Images

<img src="https://media.glamour.com/photos/58585c75db20b0bb6fbad79b/master/pass/ice%20bucket%20challenge.jpg" alt="Thanks to donations from the Ice Bucket Challenge, researchers identify one of the genes that causes ALS."/>

Thanks to donations from the Ice Bucket Challenge, researchers identify one of the genes that causes ALS.

Remember back in the summer of 2014 when Ice Bucket Challenge videos flooded your Facebook feed? Well, their omnipresence paid off. In late July, the ALS Association announced that the donations made during the viral campaign provided enough money for researchers to isolate and identify a gene that is one of the most common contributors to ALS—which means scientists are even closer to finding a cure.

America officially nominates Hillary Clinton for president.

Yes, everyone knows now how the election ultimately played out, but that doesn’t detract from the historic nomination of Hillary Clinton as the first woman candidate for a major political party. Regardless of political affiliation, this was a watershed moment in U.S. history—one appropriately celebrated with the release of hundreds of balloons that Bill and Hill jubilantly tossed around the DNC stage.

New Jersey passes a bill requiring pet stores to sell only shelter animals.

According to the Humane Society, 99 percent of dogs sold in pet stores come from puppy mills, which are known for their cruel and callous treatment of animals. In an effort to reduce the prominence of puppy mills, the New Jersey state senate approved a bill in July that forbade pet stores from selling dogs and cats that were not obtained from a rescue organization. As Glamour said over this summer, this is pawesome news.

The first solar-powered airplane completes its round-the-world journey.

In March of 2015, Solar Impulse 2, a single-passenger aircraft powered entirely by solar energy, began the first leg of its path to circumnavigate the globe. Piloted by two Swiss innovators who shared flying responsibilities, the craft officially completed its journey in late July. Though it’s unlikely a single-seat solar plane will become part of any major commercial airline anytime soon, it sent a message that renewable energy can be used to achieve major goals (just ask Paige Kassalen, the only woman engineer from the U.S. who helped make Solar Impulse 2 a reality; she spoke to Glamour earlier this year).

President Obama: “This is what a feminist looks like.”

In an essay for the September issue of Glamour, President Barack Obama proudly reiterated that he identifies as a feminist and called on other men to fight sexism and strive for gender equality. “I want all of our daughters and sons to see that this too is their inheritance. I want them to know that it’s never been just about the Benjamins; it’s about the Tubmans too. And I want them to help do their part to ensure that America is a place where every single child can make of her life what she will,” the President wrote. “That’s what twenty-first-century feminism is about: the idea that when everybody is equal, we are all more free.”

Getty

<img src="https://media.glamour.com/photos/57b386c324aa67f32114fb02/master/pass/GettyImages-590030916.jpg" alt="Olympic runners help each other up midrace."/>

Olympic runners help each other up midrace.

Despite the high stakes of the international athletic competition, the Olympics generated plenty of heartwarming moments—like when New Zealand runner Nikki Hamblin collided with Team USA’s Abbey D’Agostino. Though the two women were both contenders in the 5,000-meter race, they took the time to help each other get back on their feet and crossed the finish line together. (Want more Olympics? See how Simone Biles scored big and stole our hearts in Glamour's 76 biggest pop culture moments of 2016.)

A California woman celebrates her job offer like a wedding proposal.

What’s a surefire way to make your new job stand out among Facebook’s sea of engagement rings, wedding photos, and baby announcements? By dedicating an entire beach photo shoot to your professional milestone. Or so California-based woman Benita Abraham did in a hilarious photo series from August.

Liju Matthew /Facebook

<img src="https://media.glamour.com/photos/57c898f4a8042f882b69d7ac/master/pass/GettyImages-175512549.jpg" alt="Georgetown University will offer admissions help to descendants of slaves once owned by the school."/>

Georgetown University will offer admissions help to descendants of slaves once owned by the school.

In September, Georgetown University announced that it would give preferential admission status to the descendants of the 272 slaves that the Washington, D.C., school sold in 1838 to pay its debts. "I believe the most appropriate ways for us to redress the participation of our predecessors in the institution of slavery is to address the manifestations of the legacy of slavery in our time," President John DeGioa wrote in a letter to students and faculty. “We will give descendants the same consideration we give members of the Georgetown community in the admissions process.”

Getty Images

<img src="https://media.glamour.com/photos/57c5d779935b61f734c1434d/master/pass/iud-%20getty.jpg" alt="The FDA approves a new birth control device."/>

The FDA approves a new birth control device.

The advent of intrauterine devices (IUDs) has been a major game changer for women’s reproductive health, and in September the FDA approved yet another long-lasting reversible contraceptive: Kyleena, an IUD that can prevent pregnancy for up to five years. In related news, teen pregnancies hit a record low in 2016, thanks in part to the availability of better birth control options.

In early October, President Obama signed into law a groundbreaking piece of legislation that would protect survivors of sexual assault. The measure, which was approved unanimously in both the House and the Senate, amends how rape kits are handled in sexual assault cases and gives greater protection to those who come forward to report an assault.

Getty Images

<img src="https://media.glamour.com/photos/585967753d17688c5cced8b5/master/pass/graduation-cap.jpg" alt="The high school graduation rate in the United States reaches a record high."/>

The high school graduation rate in the United States reaches a record high.

According to a report released by the Department of Education, the country’s high school graduation rate hit 83.2 percent in 2016—and that’s a record high. Growth and improvements occurred throughout all racial and ethnic groups, according to the Associated Press, but President Obama conceded that there is still work to be done to raise the country’s falling scores on math and reading tests.

Getty Images

<img src="https://media.glamour.com/photos/5859b56387da3bc475560d96/master/pass/congress.jpg" alt="America elects its most diverse Congress in history."/>

America elects its most diverse Congress in history.

Though there’s still a long way to go until Congress is a truly representative legislative body, the November election ushered in a number of new senators and congresswomen who will fight for equal rights, promote better economic parity, and bring a more inclusive—and much needed—perspective to the Capitol. And at the state level, the election of Ilhan Omar to the Minnesota House of Representatives made history: The 34-year-old Muslim woman, a former refugee, became the country’s first Somali-American legislator.

Activists stopped the progress of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

In early December the Army Corps of Engineers officially halted the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline through land near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota. For months demonstrators protested the proposed pipeline, which not only would disturb sacred land but had the potential to pollute the water supply of thousands. Though the construction of the pipeline has not ceased completely—a new route is being developed—the development was a major victory for Standing Rock.

Christopher Lee

<img src="https://media.glamour.com/photos/57698cc7865b95b3404727bb/master/pass/Emoji.gif" alt="Tons of new emoji are introduced."/>

Tons of new emoji are introduced.

We are rapidly approaching a world in which text messages using actual words are becoming increasingly obsolete, and you can thank emoji for that. In 2016 alone, Unicode Consortium—the corporation behind emoji—introduced dozens of new emoji, including a face palm, champagne flutes, a pregnant woman, rainbow flags, and the highly anticipated avocado half.

Citing a provision from a 1953 law, President Obama announced a permanent ban on offshore oil and gas drilling in broad parts of the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans in effort to protect the "unique ecosystems" of these federal waters. Though the measure will likely be challenged in court, the Obama administration invoked a portion of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953 to ensure that the ban could not easily be overturned. The announcement—which came exactly one month before Donald Trump's inauguration—was viewed by many as a steadfast effort on the part of the president to secure his environmental legacy and prevent his successor from reversing progress made during his administration.

Getty Images

President Obama announces executive actions to control gun violence.

To circumvent congressional gridlock on gun violence prevention, President Obama introduced a series of commonsense measures in January—which were supported by a majority of Americans. The executive actions sought to expand background checks, protect victims of domestic abuse from gun violence, and improve mental-health treatment. "Until we have a Congress that's in line with the majority of Americans, there are actions within my legal authority that we can take to help reduce gun violence and save more lives—actions that protect our rights and our kids,” the President said when announcing the measures.